1. COVID 19 isolation period remains at 14 days for Care Home residents (Information for all Birmingham Care Homes)
2. Thank you letter from Councillor Hamilton (Information for all Birmingham Care Homes)
3. NECSU National Capacity Tracker Quick Reference Guide (Information for all home support, supported living and extra care providers)
4. PPE Q&A from the Department of Health and Social Care and PPE planning for the Christmas period (Information for all care providers operating in Birmingham)

1.COVID 19 isolation period remains at 14 days for Care Home residents (Information for all Birmingham Care Homes)

Further to announcement of the revised 10-day Covid isolation period, this is confirmation that isolation periods for residents in care homes or admitted to care homes, has not yet been changed – this remains at 14 days.  We are expecting further national announcements on this shortly, however until this time, isolation periods for care home residents and new admissions must remain in line with the current published guidance at 14 days.

Guidance on admission and care of residents in a care home during COVID 19

The following information applies to staff ONLY and may assist you in ensuring the 10 day isolation period is followed correctly:

• The isolation period for staff includes the day symptoms started (or the day a test was taken if they do not have symptoms), and the next 10 full days.
• A positive PCR test result means staff must complete their full isolation period. The isolation period starts immediately from when symptoms started, or, if they do not have any symptoms, from when their  first test was taken, whether this was a LFD or a PCR test.
• A positive LFD test result also means staff must complete 10 days isolation, unless this is followed by a PCR test and the result is negative.
• Staff can return work and stop self-isolating after 10 full days if their symptoms have gone, or if the only symptoms they have are a cough or loss of smell/taste, which can last for several weeks. If staff still have a high temperature after 10 days or are otherwise unwell, they must stay at home and seek medical advice.
• If staff are isolating because of a positive test result but did not have any symptoms, and they develop COVID-19 symptoms within their isolation period, they need to start a new 10 day isolation period by counting 10 full days from the day following their symptom onset.

2.Thank you letter from Councillor Hamilton  (for all care staff)

Councillor Hamilton, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, has issued a letter of thanks to all care staff for their work during COVID 19.

3.NECSU National Capacity Tracker Quick Reference Guide (Information for all home support, supported living, extra care providers)

From 30 November 2020, domiciliary care services, extra care housing schemes, supported living schemes need to report their COVID-19 information through NESCU National Capacity Tracker which has replaced the daily CQC questionnaire.

A Domiciliary Care Quick Reference Guide on how to access and update the Capacity Tracker has been circulated to care providers.

The following support is also available;

• Support Centre number; 0191 691 3729
• Online learning materials, including guidance and videos from the Help menu of the Capacity Tracker

4.PPE Q&A from the Department of Health and Social Care and PPE planning for the Christmas period (Information for all care providers operating in Birmingham)

Providers have been encouraged to ensure they have a stock pile of PPE to ensure stocks don’t run low over Christmas and care homes have been provided extra stock from the local authority to assist with this. The Department of Health and Social are also planning to increase order limits prior to Christmas to allow providers to order more PPE in case there are any delays to deliveries over the Christmas period. However, in the case of an emergency the following options are available;

• The PPE Portal will still be operational over Christmas (see attached Q and A for further information)
• Contact EmergencyPlanning@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 303 4149 (ask for the duty resilience officer)
• National Supply Disruption Response (NSDR) will be operational over the Christmas period, with staff on-call during the core days of Christmas and able to respond. Providers should contact the NSDR via the 24/7 helpline: 0800 915 9964 (Freephone number in the UK), and a Direct Line from overseas: 0191 283 6543.